NEW STRAITS TIMES
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
Kiehl’s proves that when it comes to doing a good deed for the environment, plastic isn’t necessarily the enemy.
BRITISH designer Anya Hindmarch might have mocked plastic bags with her sought-after canvas shopping bag, but American beauty brand Kiehl’s says plastic isn’t bad … if you know how to work it.
Kiehl’s unveils a reusable bag — proudly made of plastic. Not cotton, not canvas, but plastic. Each of the black shoulder bag is made of 20 plastic bottles, which means that you help reuse 20 containers that would otherwise end up in a landfill.
The bag is sturdy enough for heavy loads from the supermarket. When soiled, just gently handwash it with soap and water. And the colour is a saving grace.
For this project, Kiehl’s teamed up with Enviro-Tote Inc, a women’s-owned, family-operated company based in New Hampshire, United States.
All Enviro-Tote bags are individually cut, hand-stitched and screen-printed. The company uses a precise cutting and printing method to eliminate fabric waste.
The concept for this bag is up-cycling, instead of recycling. Coined by eco-architect William McDonough in his book Cradle To Cradle, it is a concept where waste materials are used to make new products.
A reinvestment in the environment, up-cycling I encourages consumers to take something that is otherwise disposable and transform it into something of greater use and value.
Each year, billions of discarded, non-biodegradable plastic bags break down into smaller toxic pieces, contaminating soil and waterways and killing hundreds of marine animals who mistake them for food. Using reusable bags can greatly help reduce the use of plastic bags.
So be different and embrace plastic. This tote is available at all Kiehl’s free-standing stores and counters at RM28 each. — by Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan
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